Star Wars The Black Series Darth Maul review (Clone Wars Season 7)

I had a ridiculous eye roll at what I presumed to be a shark jumping moment when Clone Wars announced Darth Maul was returning. Have I been happier to be wrong? Probably not.

Darth Maul’s arrival in the series took an already terrific show and made it epic. I’ve been beyond frustrated with Hasbro’s slow rollout of Clone Wars figures, but we finally got another of the show’s core villains.

Packaging: I really appreciate the new packaging. It’s such a refreshing visual change of pace for this line. The Clone Wars has a strong yellow gold accent color.

The bio is weirdly vague, which was surprising since this is a very specific moment in Maul’s history in the saga when he’s at the height of his post-Sith exploits running Mandalore.

Likeness: Clearly the first thing you notice at all times with Darth Maul is that head sculpt.

There’s a real ferocity to his expression exacerbated by the protruding horns atop his head and the gritted teeth smile like he’s sizing up his prey. It’s a fantastic bit of sculpting and makes Maul look like one of the most formidable lightsaber wielders in the galaxy.

Darth Maul has had some very cool looks through the years. This Mandalore king of the throne attire is one of his best. It’s a more streamlined outfit compared to his flowing, somewhat baggy Sith attire.

His chest is partially exposed showing off his slim, but defined physique. He’s wearing a tunic of sorts with a high belt and three metal wraps around his waist. That’s repeated with his long gloves albeit with larger middle sections.

Maul’s lower half consists of baggy pants and prosthetics from the knees down. The folds of his tunic and pants have a nice flow like actual fabric.

Paint: I rarely have the opportunity to be choosy with Jedi/Sith characters, so I appreciate that the Black Series line has been pretty consistent with good paint jobs.

The biggest challenge with Maul’s paint is his tattoo pattern and his yellow eyes. All of this was remarkably clean right down to his yellowed teeth.

There was some slop around the horns, but the precise details like the panels on his waist straps. It would have been nice if his metallic legs had a wash or grime on them to show some wear and tear.

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Scale: Maul wasn’t the most physically imposing character — he was shorter and slighter than most of the Clone Wars characters.

His Mandalorian Loyalists, like most figures, are taller than him although having a pair to flank him looks pretty cool.

He’s the same height as the Season 7 Ahsoka figure.

Articulation: Maul was by far the quickest of the Sith and used his blazing speed to aggressively strike out at his adversaries.

Maul’s articulation scheme — even with the slightly restrained range of his knee joints — is fantastic, allowing him to hit some very fun poses. 

His figure has the range to hit all the necessary dueling poses and deep crouches key for battling Jedi and Pre Vizsla. 

Darth Maul has:

• neck
• ball-jointed shoulders
• elbow
• wrist
• wrist hinge
• torso
• hips
• thighs
• knees
• ankles

Accessories: Maul comes with his special double-bladed lightsaber.

The intricate detail on both of the saber hilts is impressive.

Both blades detach and have the deep red that stands out sharply.

Worth it? Maul avoids being a retail exclusive so you can get him for the standard $22.99 price. Hasbro never packs this line full of accessories so increasing prices doesn’t really value out.

Once you get over the sticker shock, it’s not a bad deal although this line is going to be a terrible value once $24.99 is the new norm.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Maul went from being a standout in The Phantom Menace to one of my favorite characters in the Star Wars saga. I’ve been awaiting this figure and Hasbro truly delivered on it. 

Where to get it? Maul’s wave is at retail now so you should be able to track him down from Targets and Walmart. Or you can get him from Amazon, Entertainment Earth or Target.com.